Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-10-29
CAR WINDOW COURTESY.

A recent warm discussion in the
newspapers upon the rights of passen-
gers in ra lroad ears To the control OF
the windows Ia an interesting contri-
button To Il very interesting depart
ment of inquiry-that of manners up
on the road. The subject, indeed, is a
large one, and was treated ut some
fength a few years ago in Harper'S
BdzdT Dyh writer Nho was apparently
a travelling preacher, in whose view
the question became as Acknowledging
rs that Of clothes to Professor leu
felsdrockll. Indeed, the traveller hose
were treatcd in the Bdzdr
was soon seen TO be man himself,
whose railway carriage was the globe.
and whose were his conduct
in all human relations. 1t seems "A
long step from contention about OPEN
ing or shutting n car window to the
consideration Of the golden rule. but
the difference is only apparent. Court
esy, kndllness, self-sacriiice, the fine
qualities that consecratc human char
aeter and adorn human life, are shoEn
in the smallest as IN the greatest ac-
tons.
who sweeps II room as for thy laws
Makes that and the action fine"
The immediate question, however,
arose from the frequent experience of
the traveller whoo finds the window
near him or in front of him opened.
to admit either the icy arrows of the
winter air or the dust and smoke and
cinders which eXasperate the heat of
summer. Is the unfortunate passen-
ger who sits behind bound to submit
to the volleys Of pneumonia or of
phthisis which his forward neighbor
insists upon diScharging at him? or
may he r%ightfully summon the con-
duetor Oh the brakeman and have JUS
tiee done by closing the window. The
offend NJ neighbor contends that he
requires fresh air, and that his rear
ward companion has no right to COM
pei him 10 be sutlocated in a noisome
atmosphere. Moreover, he declares
that his neighbor also has a window,
which he can cont.o. at pleasure, and
that only members of the great Hog
FAM would insist upon managing
every window in the car at their
pleasure.
SlNLucius would enjoy the pretti-
ness OF the quarrel as it thus stands,
and it is certainly not one Of easy adj
justment, for it becomes at once ex-
trcmcly complicated. There are prob
ably two persons on every seat. Now
is the absolute control of the window
necessarily vested in the traveller who
sits next to itp and if so, to which VIM
dow in the car has his neighbor on the
outsrie Of { 0 seat a rightp Again, If
the outer passenger on the seat behind
enjoys the open window in front, and
his fellow on the same seat detests IT,
how shall tie dissent be compounded
II three Of the four declare for the
open window, and the consumptive
fourth objects, ought the majority to
rule, OF ought the vigorous inhalers of
oxygen to submit to Inconvenience in
order to save the ~attenuated neighbor
from q fatal wniti? Such dilemmas
arise upon all sides. Who is the right
full master Of the Window
TIE passenger who sits next to it
Las an immense advantage Of position.
and with a broad back and obnoxious
elbows he can repel flank attacks and
even direct assaults for some. time.
The window itself also is his ally, for
il he wishes it closed it usually sticks
fast, and if he wishes it open it g very
sure 81 refuse to come down. '1ean-
while the entire company IN 80 car
take sides. One part of them declares
that fe without fresh air IL disease
and speedy death; the otter part al
firms tina health and comfort are not
to be ruthlessly sacrificed to abstract
theories; and unless some ardent
friend Of fresh air thrusts his arm
through the window and makes shut
ting it impossible, the war sees no inn
mediate end. One ingenious skirmish-
-er, however, suggests Il clever parry
of the pneumonia blast at the cost OF
its promoter. Hold q newspaper. he
saws. just ut the back of the offender,
against the side of the open window
in front of YOU. and the whole con-
demned blast will carom against 1t,
and pour dust. ashes, ciuders, smoke.
and pneumonia over the culprIt HIM
self. This deXterous expedient he
AYERS that he has Tried with great sue
cess.
But this device shows man ia a state
of perpetual war. 1t is an i~nternecine
condition of railroad travel which inn
plies II relapse 20 barbarism. Indeed,
il is the barbarous instinct which Is
the source Of every form Of ill manner
npon the road. They all spring from
the savage conviction that if 4 a
doesn't take care of himself, nobody
will take eare of him. 1t is Il perver-
sion of the doctrine of the survival OF
the iittest. Tnis feeling extends not
only to the opening of car windows.
but to entering the Senate OF the
United States. A ''Senatorial' man
was told that if he did not push him
self for the place, nobody would pusn
him. yes" he answered, but !
thought this office ought to seek the
man" ''Nonsense!" was the reply:
.'none of your metaphysics. Ii you
want to go to the Senate, yon must
show t,at you want to 20. Nobody
will help you to a place that apparent
" you don't care for" The gentle
man nad no wish to tarnish the prize
which attracted him for the very rea-
Al